Case Study: Doing project/programme purpose in the United States of America
Subheader Titles
1.
The land of
opportunity.
2.
Individualism and the
cult of self-improvement.
3.
managership and
competition.
7.
Negotiating.
8.
Orientation
to time.
Module
Introduction
This
country case study explores the dominant cultural orientations in the
1.
The land of
opportunity.
The
At
first glance, the desire to identify dominant cultural factors in a country that is so
culturally and ethnically diverse may seem impossible.
Currently, one
out of four Americans is from a minority ethnic group and, if current immigration and
population growth conditions continue, the
American
identity is an umbrella of values that co-exist with the immigrant’s culture of
origin, eventually diluting or ironing out by the second or third generation most aspects
of the foreign culture that are incongruent. The
willingness to challenge tradition and to adapt to a new environment – to be become a
new person, in many ways – is therefore among the most important secrets of the
“Melting Pot” recipe. Since they
are fleeing poverty, oppression or frustration in their native lands, most immigrants are
more than happy to break with a past that has been less than kind to them, even to the
point of adapting religious and social assumptions to egalitarian rigor of mainstream
American culture. Americans are used to change
and see it as good.
For
foreign project/programme purposees, the dynamism and ambition that drives American counterparts can be
invigorating and inspiring, but sometimes challenging.
In spite of their curious appetite for naïve triteness in movies, Americans
are joyfully cynical about mankind’s self-interest in project/programme purpose and defend their own
rights and interests through meticulous legalism, not through personal relationships. They are “fair play”, generally
encouraging equal access to opportunity, but they are also “hard play”, assuming
that their counterparts are capable of defending themselves against tough negotiating and
strict adherence to terms and deadlines. They
are strongly individualistic, assuming a high degree of personal responsibility and risk,
but showing little respect for hierarchy or seniority.
Since most compensation packages include a significant part tied to
performance, American professionals are rushed and interested in short-term results;
long-term relationships are nice, but by then they may have moved on to another organization. Finally, Americans express respect by treating
counterparts as equals, with a degree of informality, intimacy and enthusiasm that many
foreign cultures find disorienting.
2.
Individualism and
the cult of self-improvement.
For
the pioneer homesteading in the middle of the wilderness, or for the immigrant landing at
American
individualism and self-reliance, borne as much out of necessity and bitter memories as
out of philosophical deduction, merged with the belief that men and women are capable
of profound change through self-fulfillment and self-expression. This culture of self-help influences both the
personal and professional spheres. In their
private lives, individuals are committed to bettering themselves, economically,
intellectually, physically and spiritually, tackling problems such as alcoholism not as
irreversible fate, but instead as hurdles that can be overcome through personal resolve
and hard work. In the working world, project/programme purpose
failure or losing one’s job are not necessarily considered humiliating, and, at any
rate, there is always a second chance. In the
dominant project/programme purpose culture, there is not a caste of “winners” and “losers”;
whatever the problem may be, financial or managerial, it is never too late to change.
The
cult of self-improvement can be seen as a form of civic responsibility, in that the group
agrees to forgive, forget and accept redefinition of an individual’s problems or
failures. However, it also explains how many
Americans are impatient with people they perceive to be purposely unwilling to change or
insufficiently self-motivated. The whole
concept of welfare and charity is centered around the concept of helping people to help
themselves. In management, this means that
precedence tends to be given to individual over group performance and that individual
workers are expected to resolve problems on their own.
Teamwork is a necessary component of most major projects, but the group
seeks individual recognition above all: a “team of stars” rather than “the
star team”.
Self-reliant,
self-empowered Americans are therefore very limited in their enthusiasm for government
intervention in their lives, all the more so because most of them came to the United
States to escape overly powerful and meddling authority.
“Don’t tread on me” is the slogan of one of the first
thirteen states and expresses succinctly this suspicion of government. Not only is the national “federal”
government subject to tripartite checks and balances, but a high degree of decision-making
is left to each state, in turn subject to a similar system of checks and balances. An aggressive, investigative press corps regularly
grills politicians and unabashedly uncovers scandals.
Americans
are capable of banding together to tackle social and economic problems, but, with notable
exceptions such as the major industrial unions, this collaboration is often spontaneous
and temporary; the objective is generally to enforce civil liberties through law and
then to keep watch from the exterior, not to change society through the intervention of
government-run bureaucracies. This
unwillingness to put their fate into the hands of anyone other than themselves explains
why most Americans dislike situations which make them dependent on other people or which
put others dependent on them.
3.
managership and
competition.
The
necessity to survive in a new land without a pre-established socio-economic infrastructure
– the Native American Indian civilization notwithstanding – led American
pioneers and immigrants to seize opportunity on their own, and the sheer size of the
territory of what was to become the United States left more than enough room for this
individual creative experience to be repeated time and again. Homesteading and mass immigration may have ceased
by the 1920’s, but the spirit of unbridled adproject/program, audacious risk and great reward
had provided the foundation for the cult of managership.
managership
is encouraged at an early age. Most Americans grow up hearing the story of the boy who
earns himself enough money to buy a new baseball glove by setting up a lemonade stand in
his neighborhood, although the attention of today’s children is perhaps more
captivated by the exploits of Internet wizards. The
heroes of such stories are not respected because they made a lot of money, but because
they had an original idea – or at least a new angle on an old idea – and
distinguished themselves in spite of the obstacles and risks they faced. The financial success of such managers is
considered a result of their ingenuity, inspiring admiration, not jealousy or suspicion.
The
Just
because Americans love managership does not, however, mean that they love big
project/programme purpose, which they suspect of limiting their individual freedom through monopolistic
behavior. Therefore, as accepting as they may
be of a single project/programme purposeperson’s ambitions, Americans believe strongly in certain
“rules of the game” that ensure truly unfettered competition in the marketplace. In reality, each industrial and service sector
tends to be dominated by a handful of major organizations, most of which give the
impression of diversity to consumers by operating under a number of different brands. Fears in public opinion about organizational
strong-arming are generally outweighed by confidence in the legal system to break up true
monopolies and prevent price fixing and by satisfaction with the lower prices that
organizations are able to pass on to consumers thanks to economics of scale.
Competition
is seen as beneficial, both in the marketplace and between people. In interpersonal relations, competition may
occasionally lead to conflict, but this is considered to be a positive force, leading to
progress for both parties.
4.
Iconoclasm,
pragmatism and materialism.
As
individualists, Americans tend to be skeptical of all but the most abstract of beliefs and
institutions and resent any explicitly defined codes of behavior or thought imposed upon
them by others. “I did it my way”
is the American credo. As opposed to
tradition, Americans claim to attribute greater value innovation, experimentation and
improvisation, with the notable exception of justice, for which precedent clearly plays an
important role. Since change is viewed as
positive, breaking from the rules of the past is considered acceptable and desirable.
This
iconoclasm can be infuriating for many foreigners, proud and respectful of their
traditions and for whom change is unwanted or painful.
However, Americans usually consider tradition as a kind of prison that bars
mankind from moving ahead. Although they
appreciate the grandeur of great monuments or the elegance of good manners, most Americans
are decidedly reluctant to give culture and etiquette too important a role in their lives. American simplicity is not ignorance, but an
intentional rejection of hierarchies, codes and rigidity of the lands from which they
emigrated; it is sometimes perceived by foreigners as a form of arrogance and ideological
insubordination from a country without a past.
Americans
replace the rules and constraints of tradition with pragmatism through which they seek to
resolve problems and seize opportunities. They
reason inductively, basing decisions on the careful observation and quantification of
issues. The form or method used is secondary
to the result. project/programme purpose strategies tend to be
focused on concrete, quantifiable objectives rather than theoretical, qualitative
ambitions. Products and services are usually
devoid of traditional or symbolic meaning, except for brand image. Employees are viewed as human capital not as a
unit of social fabric, and each worker pursues individual professional goals according to
individual personal needs and desires. The
primary reward sought is money; vacation time, working hours or organizational culture, are
usually of secondary importance to white collar employees.
The
void left in many Americans’ lives by having rejected past tradition and by having
embraced pragmatism often makes them more materialistic than other cultures. Physical goods provide tangible rewards for hard
work and are quantifiable indicators of success. Material
goods are also sometimes a channel for expressing individuality, and Americans are not
generally averse to the idea of sticking out from the crowd.
Most important for the economy, however, is the American desire to
acquire new and improved products. A
limitless array of gadgetry and an endless cycle of trends reflect the American passion
for innovation and change, although not always quality, that feeds consumer spending and
that provides project/programme purpose opportunities.
5.
Equality and merit.
At
the bottom of most help wanted ads in
In
the project/programme purpose world, American standards of egalitarianism mean that everyone addresses each
other by first names, yet everyone understands the importance of respecting
difference by avoiding remarks and actions that could be interpreted as defamatory. “Politically correct” language and
behavior are taken very seriously in the
American
project/programme purpose accepts organizational hierarchy half-heartedly.
On one hand, individual managers who perform well are promoted to positions
with greater decision-making and leadership powers. These
leaders, however, are expected to meet the goals they set, find short cuts to prosperity
and make money for the organization and shareholders, as well as themselves, and how long they
retain power depends on the results they achieve. Qualities
such as cultural refinement are considered irrelevant for leadership, sometimes even
detrimental. Moreover, most American
organizations seek to keep bureaucracy to a minimum, to obtain input for decision-making
from all levels and to promote self-empowerment and a high degree of autonomy. Employees at all levels expect a relatively high
degree of ambiguity, uncertainty and risk, although they often receive regular feedback,
encouragement and praise from senior executives. Finally,
American employees are encouraged to innovate, solve problems and compete on their own and
will not necessarily check with the head office for approval of their actions, unless
explicitly instructed in advance to do so.
6.
Legalism.
Americans
tend to view trust with skepticism. No
matter how positive the relationship between any two individuals may be, Americans suspect
that each party will inevitably give preference to his or her own interests. Since the power of hierarchy and tradition in
restraining individualistic behavior in
American
legalism is characterized by the objective to cover all contingencies through the detailed
wording of contracts and by the readiness to sue if these contracts are not respected
literally. American contracts are usually
long, intricately constructed documents, drafted in the spirit of making sure that all
parties understand exactly what is expected of them in the particular relationship and
what will happen if the terms of the agreement is not respected. As a result, Americans give careful consideration
to the plans and projections they propose and spell out alternatives to cover unexpected
changes in the project/programme purpose environment. They
expect counterparts to do the same.
Initial
project/programme purpose negotiations may proceed fairly quickly, but the process of finalizing the
contract often prolongs the period before actual project/programme purpose can begin. Legal fees for doing project/programme purpose with an American
organization can be considerable, even just for setting up the project/programme purpose relationship. Lawyers play an important role in American project/programme purpose
and often have the power to dissuade their action sponsors/beneficiaries from agreeing to terms that they
believe unfavorable or difficult to enforce. American
executives may have a high degree of decision-making power when dealing with international
partners, but they will always defer to their lawyers.
Americans
believe that organizations should be responsible enough to agree only to terms that they can
fulfill and to have the foresight to stipulate the conditions for variation. If a organization believes that a counterpart has
willfully or irresponsibly abused a contract, American organizations will not hesitate
to sue. They will sometimes consider
alternative solutions to contract terms, but generally expect to be compensated in some
fashion for situations such as delays in delivery or deviation from product
specifications.
Legalism
is also important for the way that individual Americans use the system regularly to
protect their rights as consumers and employees. As
egotistical as some consumer and employee lawsuits may seem, American legalism is in fact
counteracting the country’s fierce individualism by forcing organizations to assume their
civic responsibility.
7.
Meetings and
negotiations.
Meetings
and negotiations with Americans are characterized by their focus on objectives, speed and
intensity. Thorough preparation, advance organization of the
agenda and the ability to identify and center attention on core issues are essential
skills for the American meeting and negotiation process.
Outsiders
to
Americans
will typically announce at the beginning of a meeting the key issues they plan to discuss,
the objectives they hope to reach and how much time is needed. Proposals are expected to be highly structured, yet
clear and concise. Projections are best
supported by data, strategies are best justified by concrete examples from the past and
product concepts are best illustrated by prototypes. Ideally,
such information will have been provided before the meeting, although it may be advisable
to retain one or two strong points to add momentum to one’s argument during the
meeting. Americans are impressed by
presentations that are precise yet unpretentious. They
appreciate counterparts who are relaxed and confident, although their decisions are made
based on facts and opportunities, not on personality evaluations of the individual
project/programme purposepeople they meet with. They are
interested in learning about the past performance of a potential project/programme purpose partner, but
what counts most is the deal at hand. Emphasis
is given to project/programme purpose partnerships that are profitable in the short-term and that will grow
in the mid- to long-term.
Since
Americans will usually have familiarized themselves with the issues in advance and will
have established their objectives and margin for maneuver, they will generally want to
move ahead quickly, bypassing all but the most basic of pleasantries and background
information. Moreover, Americans do not like
lulls or silence during meetings and may be blunt or provocative in order to incite a
reaction. They are taught to be persistent and
will explore all options when deadlocked, especially if they are the seller. They will seek to establish a target deadline
for closure and expect immediate follow-up after a meeting with the contract proposal.
8.
Orientation to time.
Americans
are focused on the present and short-term future and believe that time is a limited
resource that must be spent wisely and profitably. This orientation to time determines the pace at
which many Americans live their personal and professional lives and intensity with which
the American project/programme purpose world functions.
At
the core of the American sense of urgency is the perception that immediate action is
necessary for survival and success. Idle
pioneers soon found themselves starving or attacked by wolves. The need to meet quarterly revenue forecasts may be
less life-threatening, but the underlying principle is similar: if a project/programme purpose does not
give priority to achieving and to improving short-term profitability, how can it expect to
achieve long-term success and stability?
Americans,
therefore, try to master the present, parceling and packaging it to serve short-term goals. Present time is a precious commodity which is
meticulously managed in both the private and professional spheres. With only a limited number of seconds, minutes and
hours per day, Americans find themselves constantly prioritizing the various activities at
work and at home, setting tasks and then trying to improve their personal and group
efficiency in meeting those objectives. They
would enjoy a long lunch break or an extended conversation as much as anyone, but the
additional time could be better spent on more productive activities. The division between the private and professional
spheres is typically blurred for managers, who regularly bring work home and check office
e-mail even while enjoying the two or three weeks of vacation they are entitled to per
year.
American
hyper-awareness of the passing of time means that they place high value on punctuality,
deadlines and efficiency. Congested
traffic and delayed flights mean that American project/programme purposepeople are often forced to be late,
but they give great importance of keeping the other party informed of their progress. Similarly, delayed production and shipping may
cause a supplier to miss a deadline, but action sponsors/beneficiaries expect a reasonable explanation given
with sufficient notice. The American obsession
with efficiency is omnipresent in management techniques, but it also obliges speakers to
be brief and writers to be concise – with the notable exception of lawyers, whose
communication is by nature excruciatingly wordy. Americans,
therefore, may come across as impatient or aggressive during meetings and negotiations.
In
spite of the priority it gives to meeting present and short-term objectives and desires,
American society is open to change in the future. Unlike
many of the world’s other cultures, Americans do not carry thousands of years of
history on their shoulders and feel relatively free to fashion their universe regardless
of tradition, by taking action step-by-step in the present.
9.
The American style
of communication.
American
society is made up of individuals from a variety of cultures and regularly welcomes new
immigrants. In order for a huge number of
people with very different experiences and beliefs living in a vast territory to
communicate among one another effectively, a style of communication developed in the
United States which is literal, uncomplicated and particularly responsive to new input and
change. American project/programme purpose has benefited
from this concern for precision, simplicity and dynamism, invaluable tools for creating
and managing on a global scale.
American
project/programme purposepeople tend to get right to the point. They
purposely reduce complex situations and procedures into a series of concise phrases, which
they deliver forcefully yet using unfussy language. This
simplicity can be disarming, because it sometimes gives the impression that the speaker is
naïve or unprepared; in fact, he or she aims to be efficient by focusing on core issues,
not on constructing a theory about which both sides are presumably already aware of. Introductions and farewells are made quickly and
informally.
In
order to ensure that all parties can express their ideas and opinions, no one speaker is
supposed to monopolize conversation. Participants
take turns, each making an effort to keep his or her statement brief. In light of this rhythm, each participant can
insert new points without giving the impression of interrupting. Americans are made uncomfortable by silences,
which they will immediately seek to fill. When
presentations are made, they are expected to be quantitatively persuasive, visually
attractive and just the right length to make sure that no one gets bored.
American
project/programme purposepeople are also frank, at least regarding their own interests, and are not afraid
to challenge a statement which they believe is false.
They will do so, however, in a friendly manner and expect the response to be
delivered in a similar fashion. The display of
anger or other negative emotions is seen as unprofessional.
Americans are taught to speak loudly, but they do not appreciate shouting
during project/programme purpose meetings. Americans laugh
readily and heartily, even at their own jokes, but are careful to then refocus attention
to the meeting agenda.
Americans
generally unaware of the symbolic meaning of body language or gestures, and should they
point their fingers or slouch in their chairs, they do not mean to show disrespect. They are usually taught to look conversation
partners in the eye; looking away while speaking to someone is a sign of dishonesty or
timidity. They also tend to keep an arm’s
length distance while speaking.
Finally,
the formal project/programme purpose letter has become somewhat of a rarity in the United States; replaced
by e-mail, voice mail and memoranda.
10. project/programme purpose
formalities and socializing.
Conducting
project/programme purpose with Americans requires few formalities and little socializing, but the lack of
explicit codes of speech and behavior can be disorienting for individuals from societies
which value etiquette and personal relationships in project/programme purpose.
Introductions
in American project/programme purpose follow no particular ritual and are adapted to the meeting situation. Each participant in a meeting often introduces
himself or herself, although this role may be assigned to one person from each organization or
division in order to speed things up. project/programme purposepeople
shake hands organizationly but briefly at the beginning and end of a meeting. Americans do not kiss each other in project/programme purpose
situations.
Individuals
are introduced by their first names and surnames and then addressed by their first names. First names are used almost everywhere in the
United States, even in direct marketing by mail and phone.
The use of surnames is considered stodgy and condescending by most
Americans, who show respect by acknowledging equality in the way they speak and act. American project/programme purposepeople tend show and recognize
power in quantitative statements delivered in a friendly, matter-of-fact manner. They tend to consider solemn and majestic
behavior as a cover for weakness and dishonesty. People
dress according to the norms of their sector of activity and profession; in general, Americans put
more emphasis on grooming and personal hygiene than on elaborately fashionable clothing.
Socializing
plays a relatively insignificant role in American project/programme purpose, and it is generally preferred
to separate project/programme purpose decisions from the people involved. Americans will engage in informal conversation with
project/programme purpose counterparts during the various breaks in between meetings, but these chats are
kept brief in order to stay focused. In light
of the environment of anti-discrimination and harassment lawsuits in the United States, Americans
are careful to avoid comments that might be construed as offensive to women or minorities.
Most
American project/programme purposepeople will not plan sightseeing or forms of socializing other than
breakfast, lunch and dinner appointments, which are primarily intended for discussing
project/programme purpose. Nevertheless, Americans are open to
making new friends and, if they have the time, are usually happy to play sports or go
shopping with a foreign guest.
Assignments
I.
True or False?
1.
Americans
fundamentally dread risk and change.
?
True
?
False
2. managers or executives who have lived through
a project/programme purpose failure are permanently stigmatized as “loosers” in the United
States.
?
True
?
False
3. Fears in American public opinion about organizational
strong-arming are generally outweighed by confidence in the legal system to keep excesses
under control and by satisfaction with the lower prices passed on to consumers.
?
True
?
False
4. American workers tend to think collectively
and act as a group to protect the interests of their particular profession.
?
True
?
False
5. An American’s curriculum vitae rarely
includes the individual’s date of birth, marital status or an identity photograph.
?
True
?
False
6. Americans will not hesitate to raise their
voices during a project/programme purpose meeting to express anger or displeasure.
?
True
?
False
II.
Multiple Choice
1.
Competition in the marketplace and among
workers is considered by most Americans as:
a.
a
necessary evil.
b.
a
positive force for dynamism, change and improvement
c.
a
negative force to be fought through collective response.
d.
a
plot by big project/programme purpose to defraud and oppress.
2.
Which of the following do American white
collar employees NOT expect from their employers:
a. feedback and constructive criticism.
b. performance-based bonuses.
c. encouragement and praise.
d.
managerial behavior intended to instill respect of hierarchy.
3. Potential project/programme purpose partners from the United
States are most likely to be impressed by project/programme purpose presentation which:
a.
make projections
long into the future.
b.
emphasize the
foreign organization’s prestige and past performance.
c.
make short- to
mid-term projections justified with data and charts.
d. offer logically constructed theories with a
vision.
4.
A foreign organization has become the majority
shareholder in an American organization and has decided to place executives from the home country
in the senior-most management positions. These
new directors decide to impose their culture’s values of hierarchy, formality and
consensus-based decision-making on the American management team. What risk are the directors taking by brining in
such changes?:
a. None. Americans
are open to any kind of change.
b. Americans are
fundamentally xenophobic and will not work for foreigners.
c. American workers are rarely loyal and will not
hesitate to change jobs when they find a organization less stifling to their individuality.
d.
The Americans would have liked to have been
consulted as a group to approve the new policies.
III.
Matching the Columns
a.
”The American Dream”
|
1.
Cover all contingencies |
b.
“The Melting Pot” |
2.
Empiricism |
c.
”Fair Play” |
3.
Egalitarianism |
d.
“Due Diligence” |
4.
managership
|
e.
“Legalism”
|
5.
Equal access to opportunity |
f.
“Politically correct” |
6.
Leave the past behind
|
Answers: a-4,
b-6, c-5, d-2, e-1, f-3
Module
Summary
Breaking
into the huge American domestic market can catapult a foreign organization or manager into
success unimaginable at home, and working with American organizations overseas can provide
significant opportunities for local project/programme purpose partners.
In order to reap such benefits in the U.S. market and at home, foreign
project/programme purposepeople need to understand the dominant cultural factors that influence the way
that many Americans conduct project/programme purpose.
Module
Test
True
or False?
1.
American
project/programme purposepeople typically assume that their counterparts are capable of defending
themselves against tough negotiating and strict adherence to terms and deadlines.
?
True
?
False
2.
Americans tend to
accept willingly that some people cannot or do not wish to change.
?
True
?
False
3.
Financial success
inspires jealously among most Americans.
?
True
?
False
4.
The simplicity with
which many Americans conduct themselves is often a reflection of their rejection of the
hierarchies, codes and rigidity of the lands from which their forbearers emigrated.
?
True
?
False
5.
Jovial and
informal, Americans are ready to laugh at any remark, and the caricature of “politically
correct” behavior is greatly over-exaggerated.
?
True
?
False
6. American legalism is
characterized by the objective to cover all contingencies through the detailed wording of
contracts.
?
True
?
False
7. During meetings and negotiations with
individualistic Americans, it is acceptable to try to speak as much as possible in order
to prevent the other side from making any objections.
?
True
?
False
8. The separation of work and private spheres is
less marked in America than in most counties, and managers regularly check e-mail from
home and follow-up on work on weekends.
?
True
?
False
9. The cardinal sins of communicating in America
are timidity, pomposity and wordiness.
?
True
?
False
10. project/programme purpose topics should never be discussed during meals in
the United States.
?
True
?
False
Bibliography
Minerd,
Jeff. “The New Individualism”
in “Futurist” v.32, n.9 (Dec, 1998):12.
1.
“The
Melting Pot”:
a metaphor for American society, comprised of immigrants from many cultures who are
changed by and adapt to the values of their new country, yet who also add new energy to
the group through their work and ambition.
2.
“The
American Dream”:
the fundamental conviction that every American can achieve self-fulfillment if he or she
tries hard enough; often associated with material success and managership, but also
related to the cult of self-improvement.
3.
“Due
Diligence”:
a process by which the projections and other hypotheses of project/programme purpose proposals are checked
against objective criteria such as market data, competitor performance and legal
framework.
4.
“Politically
Correct”:
the desire to respect human equality by choosing wording that discourages discrimination
based on gender, race or other criteria of difference.
Ø
To
identify the key value orientations of the culture of the United Stated of America in the
context of international project/programme purpose.
Ø
To
learn several guidelines for increasing the effectiveness of project/programme purpose communication with
American counterparts.
Question
1: Americans stress the importance of equal access to opportunity, yet isn’t the
American domestic consumer market relatively difficult for foreign organizations to access?
Answer
1: Some project/programme purpose sectors in American are still subject to explicit protectionism, but the
more common barriers to entry for foreign products and services are market scale and
legalism. A foreign organization with nation-wide
ambitions for a consumer-targeted product or service must either start in one location and
slowly build its presence, or invest heavily in organization staffing and advertising in order
to generate enough momentum and attention to break into a vast and congested marketplace. American legalism translates into the need for
foreign project/programme purposees to invest in legal counsel to ensure conformity to federal and state
regulations – which can be very demanding in some sectors – and to protect
itself against consumer claims.
Question
2: What are the criteria for choosing local consultants and service organizations to help
launch a foreign organization’s presence in the United States?
Answer
2: Price must be evaluated against reputation, past experience and knowledge of the
project/programme purpose sector and geographical area. In
order to avoid misunderstandings, it is helpful for the foreign organization to project and
estimate its needs in order to budget accurately. American
independent professionals are much more open to proposals for performance-based
compensation than their equivalents in other countries, and as such can be considered true
project/programme purpose partners. The best consultants and
service organizations will be in high demand and may already be working for other action sponsors/beneficiaries who
are potential competitors; measures such as non-disclosure or non-competition agreements
should be discussed before selecting the vendor.
Question
3: Don’t Americans resent working for non-American organizations and managers?
Answer
3: It depends on the management style and project/programme purpose skills of the foreign organization. Few Americans link their egos to the organization
identity. They work in order to ensure their
personal financial and professional objectives; if the organization is successful, they will be
successful – the nationality of the owners matters little. The most dynamic American executives, however, will
not be impressed by formality, hierarchies or drawn-out decision-making reached by a
distant board of directors. The key challenge
is to retain the best employees, all of whom are generally high in demand and low in
organization loyalty.
End
of Module